Anna Ovsyanikova and Chris Hotson- Violin and Piano Recital

Anna Ovsyanikova (violin)
Chris Hotson (piano)

The recital is based around the relatively unknown composer Mathieu Crickboom. He is the dedicatee of Eugene Ysaÿe’s sonata number 5, with which we open the recital. A colleague and friend of Ysaÿe, Chausson, Debussy, d’Indy amongst others, Crickboom dedicated his Esquisses Op. 1 to Ernest Chausson. We also include Chausson’s rarely performed “Pièce”. Crickboom’s unpublished work “Doux” concludes the first half.

After the interval we will perform Crickboom’s Ballade, Romance, as well as Enrique Granados’s sonata, and conclude the recital with Crickboom’s epic sonata for violin and piano.

Anna Ovsyanikova (violin) and Chris Hotson (piano) began playing together in 2006 while they were both students at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Since then Anna and Chris have given numerous recitals across the UK. Anna is pursuing a doctorate degree at the Royal College of Music, for which she is exploring the unknown music of Mathieu Crickboom.

Mathieu Crickboom (1871-1947) was a Belgian violinist, composer and pedagogue. Concert violinist, chamber musician (who have played second violin in Ysaÿe String Quartet – premiered Debussy’s string quartet; set up his own Crickboom String Quartet – premiered Chausson’s concert for violin, piano and string quartet; played trio with Enrique Granados and Pablo Casals), orchestral leader – at La Monnaie in Brussels, composer, editor of music, pedagogue – extensive list of students and several violin treatises, concert series organiser (he was in charge of Catalan Philharmonic society for 9 seasons), artistic director and contributor to the music magazine La Tribune Musicale in Brussels.